June Reminder
Hi All,
There were a few of us at the Club meeting last week, so we were able to have a chat about trip preparations. Everyone who was there had contacted and paid for Birdsville caravan park, and everyone had ordered their Desert Parks Pass, so all good!
If there is anyone who has not ordered their Desert Parks Pass, now is the time!
They recommend three weeks for delivery, and in 4 weeks from today, we will all be meeting up in Broken Hill!
If you haven’t ordered by this week, you might not take delivery in time. https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/pa...ert-parks-pass
There are a few people that I haven’t caught up with in the last couple of months. Steve? Greg & Candice? Hope everything is on track. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
One more thing that I said I would organise before we get there is meals in Copley! We will be cooking for ourselves at Wilpena on Monday night 9 July, and at Muloorina / Lake Eyre on Wednesday night 11 July.
But we can go to the pub in Copley on Tuesday night 10th, and even have a cooked breakfast at Copley Bakery (in the caravan park) on Wednesday morning before we head North to Maree.
But they need numbers. If you could email me with how many of you might want a pub meal on Tuesday night and a cooked breakfast on Wednesday morning, I will let them know our numbers on Sunday next week.
One last thing. I called Mungerannie this morning to see if they have a ‘best guess’ about the Warburton Crossing. As you know it did flood, and water made it all the way to Lake Eyre. At the moment there is no way across the Warburton to the K1 Line, which is our planned route. This is at the mapped crossing and at the possible station crossing to the south as well, which was cut off by water reaching Lake Eyre and was always a bit iffy as there are no tracks on the maps…
The water level is still dropping. Poothapoota Waterhole, just downstream of the crossing has dropped from 4.7 metres and is now at 1.5 metres. https://www.waterconnect.sa.gov.au/S...s/Default.aspx
The best guess at Mungerannie is that in a month, maybe, we will be able to cross. It is all black soil around the river, so not only does the river need to drop more, but the land around has some drying out to do.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the main crossing will re-open. But if it doesn’t, the fall back plan is to drive straight to Birdsville from Mungerannie up the Birdsville track, arrive about lunch time, refuel and head into the desert from there.
IF we do that, we could just bushcamp between the dunes for 1 night, then head back to Birdsville for our booked 2 nights, OR we could decide to go all the way to Poepple Corner and back, then we would be 2 nights in the desert and back in Birdsville for an afternoon and one night.
I know we have already payed for 2 nights in Birdsville and only 1 in the desert, but this is a maybe, when we get there... We could split the convoy, those who want to go to Poepple (2 bush camps) and those that just spend the 1 night in the bush and return to Birdsville. Would still much rather do what is planned, just need the Warburton to dry up and be re opened!!
Please let me know numbers for Copley, or if you need to talk anything over.
Best wishes,
DavidG
Hi Dave
We are good to do the pub dinner and brekky too...count us in ... and our parks pass arrived last week
Still need to pay for Birdsville will try bloody Nora again this weekend....lol
John n Di
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Hi everyone,
As a few of you that were at the last club meeting already know, I have created a couple of graphic decals for the trip. Thought it will be nice to have something to remember it, besides the sand you will be forever trying to vacuum out!
I'm waiting for the sample decals to come. In the meantime, I just want to see how many of you will like one.
The cost is $15 per decal.
The decal will be in white like the one in the photo on the rear window. The size is 210 x 137mm.
If you would like one, please message me by Wednesday 20/06/2018.
We will bring the decals in the July meeting or can pass it to you on the trip.
Cheers,
Daphne
PS: 23 days & counting
Last edited by SeanC; 13-06-18 at 11:58 PM.
In case you didn't believe me that it can be cold out there...
-1 in Broken Hill expected tonight.
And -1 in Marree.
And just 2 degrees in Birdsville!
Make sure you pack your Winter sleeping bag. And perhaps the thermals
Dave
Last edited by Dave; 23-06-18 at 04:07 PM.
Hi All,
Another update, and this time not as hopeful.
I've been in touch with "SA Parks" to see if they had any thoughts as to re-opening the Warburton Crossing, after the Yacht Club said it was passable over a week ago. This is the reply I got yesterday.
Hi David,
Ive spoken to some people in Birdsville and have some updated info on Warburton Crossing.
Still the same as I expected, the crossing is still impassable and its looking to stay that way for quite some time.
Goyders Lagoon still has water in it and that’s what is leaking into Warburton.
When Goyders first flooded it took out Warburton by about 6-7 metres wide and since the weather is quite cool up there it’s not drying out like they had hoped.
The Ranger and Police officer from Birdsville only checked again this week and have said it definitely won’t be opened the whole of July. But they are planning on checking it again every couple of weeks, so if there are any changes we will definitely know.
She mentioned that a lot of tourists are still going to have a look at the crossing and getting stuck because the flood area was far larger than would be expected.
Hope this info helps you, sorry it’s not any better news.
Have a great trip,
Sam Butler
Desert Parks Administration Officer
Department for Environment and Water
So unless there is a significant change in the next two weeks, it looks like we might be going all the way up the Birdsville Track and into and back out of the sand from Birdsville. Whether we go as far as Poepple, two bush camps in the desert and only one night in Birdsville, we can decide on when we get there. Not to worry though. We will still do PLENTY of big sand dunes and get at least one night under the stars in the middle of nowhere
Two weeks until the trip West!
Dave
Last edited by Dave; 23-06-18 at 10:34 AM.
Some marvelous work by the ABC showing what is going on with the desert and water at the moment. Well worth checking out.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-2...centre/9864010
Dave I know we are targeting the Simpson, but honest, given we may have to change route to avoid crossing the Warburton can we find just a little time to check out the Goyder?
Dru'n'Kerry
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